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Ascending the world’s tallest peak, the Mt Everest (8,848 meters) is going to be the most spectacular part of the Beijing Olympics torch relay. In their efforts towards this move, a group of 50 Chinese mountaineers held a trial run on Friday, May 02, 2008 for the Everest Olympic torch relay. The regular torch relay spanning a host of countries of the world concluded in Hong Kong on Friday.
Zhang Zhijian, spokesman of the Chinese mountaineering team, also announced the squad that will carry the Olympic flame to the world’s highest peak, Mt Everest. Zhang further revealed that the mountaineering and support team includes, beside the Han Chinese, other ethnic groups like Tibetans, Tu, Tujia and Hui. The 50 member team consists of torch bearers, coaches, officials, qualified climbers among others. The Everest torch has been specially designed to burn in windy, frigid oxygen thin Himalayan air. The ascent has officially been called the ‘Beijing Olympics Torch Relay Qomolangma (the Everest) Leg’.
